You can import files that contain real-world outdoor terrain data into Twinmotion, and create landscapes for your projects. Once a file is imported as a landscape, you can modify the shape and appearance of the landscape with the Sculpt and Paint tools in Twinmotion.
This page explains how to import landscape files into Twinmotion, and how to work and manage them once they are imported. For a general overview of landscapes in Twinmotion, see Overview of Landscapes.
You can import only one landscape file per project.
Importing Landscape Files into Twinmotion
To import landscape files into Twinmotion:
In the Scene graph section, hide the Starting Ground, Starting Landscape, and Starting Base.
This first step is optional, but in most cases the landscapes you import are meant to replace the default Twinmotion Starting Ground and Starting Landscape. Hiding them, as well as hiding the Starting Base, ensures that they will not obstruct the landscape you import.
Open the Import dock by clicking Import in the footer.
In the Import dock, click the Import ( + ) icon.
In the Landscape tab, click Open.
In the Import window, navigate to the folder that contains the landscape file you want to import.
Select the file, and click Open.
In the Import window, under Options, select the importing options for the landscape file, and click the Import button. The import options vary depending on the type of file you are importing: a heightmap, a point file, or a mesh.
For more information about the options, refer to Import Options.
The import process starts, and the landscape is imported into Twinmotion. By default, imported landscapes are positioned at the origin of the XYZ coordinate system: 0,0,0.
Working with Landscape Files
Once a landscape file is imported into Twinmotion, it appears as a thumbnail in the Import dock.
From the Import dock, you can do the following:
Select all imported objects in the file.
Change the import options and reimport the file.
Delete the file.
Update the file.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
Select all imported objects | Selects the landscape in the viewport and the Scene graph. |
File settings | Use this option to reimport the file and change import settings. |
Delete | Deletes the file from the Import dock. For more information, see the "Deleting Landscape Files" section below. |
Refresh icon | Updates the imported landscape file with any changes you made in the source file. For more information, see the "Updating Landscape Files" section below. |
Updating Landscape Files
If you make changes to a landscape file, you can update it in Twinmotion by either refreshing or replacing the file in Twinmotion. If the source file name and location has not changed you can refresh it. If the source file name and location has changed, you need to replace it.
To refresh the file:
In the footer, click Import to open the Import dock.
If the source file name and location has not changed, click the Refresh icon that appears above the landscape file.
To replace the file by reimporting:
In the footer, click Import to open the Import dock.
Click the ellipsis (...) that appears above the landscape file.
In the menu, select File settings.
In the Import window that opens, select the landscape file and click Open.
Deleting Landscape Files
To delete a landscape file:
In the footer, click Import to open the Import dock.
In the Import dock, click the ellipsis (...) that appears above the landscape file.
In the menu, select Delete.
You can also delete an imported file by selecting it in the Import dock and pressing the Delete key.
When you delete a file from the Import dock, it remains as an object in the viewport and the Scene graph but cannot be reimported or replaced from the Import dock. To remove an object from the viewport and the Scene graph, select the object in the viewport and press the Delete key, or right-click the object in the Scene graph and select Delete.